Raccoon delays Air Canada flight from Saskatoon to Toronto by nearly 7 hours

A raccoon caused an Air Canada flight bound for Toronto from Saskatoon to be delayed by nearly seven hours Thursday evening.

Flight passenger Damien Lee said it “was just like a circus” trying to get the raccoon off the plane.

The assistant professor said the flight was originally delayed due to a baggage issue, but within an hour lassos were brought out to try to catch the animal.

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Lee said passengers hadn’t yet boarded the plane and eventually the raccoon scurried off.

Neither Air Canada nor officials from the John G. Diefenbaker International Airport immediately returned request for comment.

Lee said the flight eventually took off and landed in Toronto about 3 a.m.